one4review | On 18, Aug 2025

Matthew McKew is quite a tour de force, after suffering a rather traumatic head injury, and losing the ability to read and write, it’s incredible that he’s now performing his one-man stand-up show, “Screws Now Included”.  After losing his job as a theatre journalist due to his condition, he’s chasing a new career in comedy and actually doing it rather well.

He’s picked up a few other jobs along the way and his time as a labourer on a building site and latterly as an historical role player in a school, has loaded him up with material for his latest routine.  All this while still living with a functioning neuro disorder.  He invites us to play a memory game along with him, just to see how wired up our own brains are.  It’s fun and not as easy as we had all anticipated.

McKew has spent a lot of time in New Zealand and he’s eager to share his vast knowledge of Lord of the Rings, tongue very firmly in cheek.  This rising talent has had to reset his onboard computer, full blown control/alt/delete.  There’s room for improvement in places but you should give this guy a chance to show what he’s capable of. I’m sure he’ll be back, bigger and better next year.

3***

Reviewed by Gavin

Venue – PBH at Carbon, Room 1

Time – 16.30

Until 17th Aug